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Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions
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I'm hoping one of you might have some insight into a "problem" with my 2003 MPV LX (rear air, 4 seasons package, traction control, roof rack). I did not order any sort of alarm system with my MPV, nor is one listed on the invoice. But once in a while (while the car is parked and turned off), something "triggers" the horn to start honking and flashers to flash, as if an alarm system had been activated. This happened twice when I intentionally left the rear hatch open (wile unloading groceries in the driveway) -- both times about 5 minutes after leaving the car. This also happened yesterday with the car parked about 5 minutes after I went into the car just to open all of the windows (it was quite hot, so I just wanted the MPV to ventilate a bit).
Any ideas on why the horn and lights start pulsating? Is there some way to deactivate this "feature"?
Thanks!
MC
There's a red button (they call it a "panic button") on your keyless remote thing or transmittor and you're most likely accidently hitting it somehow...even if the keys are in your pocket...??
Pressing that red button will cause your hazard lights to flash and the horn to sound for 2 and a half minutes. If you can't wait the 2 minutes, it says that pressing any button on the transmittor will turn things off.
I remember reading somewhere that people were having trouble with their power doors....they were finding them "open" at the oddest times and someone wrote that they were probably hitting the open button on their transmittor before they were far enough away from their vehicle so that it wouldn't work. Since reading that, we're trying to be much more careful with our transmittor because we don't want to accidently unlock our doors when we walk away from the van!
Hope this helped.....Sharon
I know how to turn off all the interior lights so they don't burn out, but I hate having that diagram of a car lit up for too long because I can imagine that light bulb burning out way before its time!
Thanks to anyone that may have an answer!
Sharon
Leslie
Just my 2 cents.
Leslie
To me that sounds a little far fetched. Would appreciate any comments on there conclusions. Oh. also one more advice was to put only 33# of air pressure not 35#.
-Dave
I guess I didn't understand why they'd have that diagram light up continuously like that when the van has the option of flipping the rear seat to "tailgate" and therefore you're encouraged to leave a door open.....Sorry, I'm rambling and probably not making sense. It's been a long day in our house today!
Sharon
-Brian
Yesterday, while waiting for my son in a parking lot, I left the MPV running with the a/c on. I noticed that the temperature started to climb, hitting 96 degrees within just a few minutes. I found that odd, since the radio station I was listening to stated that the temperature was 80 degrees. (We had this feature on our Voyager van and it was always within 2 degrees of the radio stations' temps and we never had any problems with it, ever.) Then, as my son and I drove off, the temp began to drop a bit but never did get completely down to 80 degrees. We then went through a drive-through window and although the line moved fast and we didn't "sit" for very long, the temp managed to climb to 100 degrees!
Before we bought our MPV, while I was doing all of my research on various websites, I know I'd read somewhere that the sensors for the temperature used to be installed incorrectly and there was a link (or address) to the service bulletin that described, in great detail, where the sensor should be located. Yesterday, when I noticed our little problem, I spent some time trying to relocate that particular chat/discussion and I did eventually find it. (It's somewhere in the Edmunds chatrooms, from this past February.)
I went to the service bulletin and discovered that our temp sensor was in the wrong location. According to this bulletin, they used to install the sensors UNDER the van but now they are supposed to be behind the front grill, on the passenger side, clipped to some foam-covered piece of plastic. Ours is behind the grill but poking out a bit, on the driver's side, and we can't see any "foam-covered piece of plastic" either.
I called our service department this morning and had a chat with someone and what I found most annoying is that this person made it sound as if what we are experiencing is "normal" and in fact happens in their own personal car too. (I was told the heat from the vehicle will bring the temp up.) If you all want a good laugh, I was also asked what COLOR my van was! (I know, if it was black in color that would be the explanation for why the temp is rising!)
We have an appointment for Thursday morning to drop off the van but I was just wondering, before we drop it off, if anyone else has this same problem. Also, if you do have the temp feature, do you know where the sensor is located? I really can't see how moving it to the other side of the grill area will solve this problem.
I'm disappointed that we paid extra for this accessory, only to have it act temperamental.
Sharon
I just checked that site out and I have to say, thank you! The info was easy to understand and quite helpful! I can't wait to show my son! (We try to educate him here and there during the summer months whenever we can!)
Thanks again...what a neat site to visit!
Sharon
I just wanted to thank you for your comment about the open-door display thing staying lit....and your experience with leaving a door open but not finding your battery drained the next day etc.
It's always nice to read about other experiences for a heads-up on what to expect etc without having to read the manual cover to cover or make a mistake and learn the hard way.
Thanks!
Sharon
Good Luck.
Leslie
Ours gave crazy temps, I had them perform the TSB, and it's working fine now.
Do you know where your sensor is now located? Ours is already in our grill (not under the van) but we don't see how just moving it to the correct position in the grill will make a difference....
Thanks,
Sharon
Leslie
I have been reading the board for a while, but this is my first post... I hope I am doing it right. I have been looking for a new family friendly car. The MPV seems to be a great choice, but when I test drove it, it seemed to have quite a bit of wind noise once I was over 60mph. (I had already moved the roof racks as far back as possible, since I understand they can contribute to noise). Has anyone else experienced this? Are there any fixes to it? A quiet car is a very important feature to me.
Thanks in advance!
Not to sound grumpy (but I am today), but please re-read my 2 posts about the temp sensor. (Post numbers 2839 and 2844.)
I state in both posts that our sensor is in the front grill area, not under the van.
Due to my finding that service bulletin, we know that the sensor is in the wrong area of the grill and we wondered how moving it to the correct area of the grill would make a difference. (I say in post 2839 that it is actually poking out of the grill a little bit.) Since it was already located in the grill area, we were wondering if maybe the sensor is faulty or if everyone has interesting temp readings and we're the only ones that it bothers. (When it's 80 degrees outside I don't think it's acceptable that it will climb to 100.) Our previous van had a temp display and it never went up and down like this one is doing.
Today my husband ran it to the dealership (we had an appt at 9am and were promised a loaner car) and when he got there oops, they didn't have a loaner car. And from that point on, it was an "interesting" service visit. (NOT!)
They moved the sensor to the other side of the grill (passenger side) but they still did not install it per the directions in that service bulletin so we're curious if we'll continue to get interesting temp readings.
I'll post an update after I've had a chance to try it out....I'm leaving soon to go pick up my son and I'll leave the van running in the parking lot again and see what happens. (Although it is just GORGEOUS here today...not too hot and not muggy like Monday was...the day my temp display hit 100)
Sharon
I'll try to avoid being helpful in the future.
Leslie
Don't avoid being helpful or giving your 2 cents worth! I look forward to your insight when I read these chats!
I was just annoyed that it didn't seem as if you'd read what I had written (in that our temp sensor was not under our van etc) and therefore I didn't know if I was getting as much info/insight from you as I could.
Like I said, they did move our sensor (to the correct area of the grill but they did not install it per the TSB's exact instructions) and yesterday, when I was going to pick up my son, the temp was going up and down like crazy.
Our high yesterday was 79 degrees. While in a turn lane waiting for a green arrow at 2:17pm, my temp read 88 degrees. Once in the parking lot it jumped (climbed) to 91 degrees in less than 5 minutes. Then it slowly dropped (within 2 minutes) to 90, 88, and 85 but then it climbed again to 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91 within 8 minutes. I doubt we'd hit our high of 79 by 2:30 yesterday so the actual outside temp was probably even a bit lower yet my temp was displaying 91.
Are we wrong to be annoyed with this, considering we paid extra to have this as an accessory and considering that our previous van's temp display had none of these bad habits?
Yippee for you that it's the last day of school! Ours was June 10th (only a half day, too) but this week my son is back in school for 3 weeks (it's a school for higher ability kids with the neatest courses available you've ever seen) and so we're still getting up quite early (earlier than when he had "normal" school). Can't wait till we can sleep in too!
Thanks for your postings! I'm curious to see what you say to that entry about wind noise. (I think her "name" was mommyscar?) She sounds like she needs to read some more of your enthusiastic comments about the MPV's good points!
Sharon
I don't know if you saw my previous posts on this issue, but yesterday my husband took it to the dealer and from what he told me, they never even bothered to "test" the sensor - they just moved it from where it was (driver's side grill area) to the passenger's side grill area. Seems to me they should have tested it first but we had already decided that we would let them do what they wanted when we brought it in because we didn't think it was our place to be "educating" them about how to do their job. (To say we're annoyed with our dealership would be an accurate statement.)
Have a nice trip...where's "the beach" that you're talking about?
Sharon
Although it may not be Lexus-quiet, I find the highway noise in the MPV to be reasonable for a van that has a tight (not mushy) suspension and handles better than many cars. Also, the noise that does exist at higher speeds is more of a "white noise" (to my ears at least) and does not become tiresome even on long trips.
Unless the Odyssey has improved greatly in recent years, probably the only vans that will be significantly quieter on the highway than the MPV are the Toyota Sienna and Daimler-Chrysler models (maybe Ford Windstar too, but I wouldn't go there).
Forgot to ask this....Do you remember off the top of your head which car magazines you've seen something written about the temp sensor? I've only seen the TSB so I'd love to have an alternate source to check out about this problem. (Because the way things are going, I'm not so sure this is going to get repaired properly for us.)
Thanks in advance, if you do remember the names of the magazines.
Sharon
So the question comes, is the dealer lying or is the Mazda installing cheap, poor quality brakes? Can anybody comment on how long should rear brakes last on MPV? Thanks
MG
2nd opinion?
Mark. : )
MB
Either the dealer is full of merde or, like Mark said, there was an adjustment problem. Have you ever had any work done at all on the rear brakes?
Not sure that the MPV is heavy on the rears, b/c the front brakes are naturally going to have the biggest task of slowing 3,800lbs-plus of MPV down from speed... according to Mr. Newton.
Road Noise: Honestly, I can't say that I find my MPV overly noisy on the highway. I do have the moon roof which is opened most of the time. I also usually have the radio on. I find the MPV to be quiet and a pleasure to drive. I also remember reading that the side mirrors on the MPV were purposely made smaller to cut down on wind noise. It was either in Car and Driver or Popular Mechanics. I will try to find it.
On that same note, all cars are different. I would drive another MPV before I condemn it to being noisy. My '95 Villager was a noisy van. Whistles, wind noise, rattles, squealing brakes. I could always feel the tranny shift too. Now the MPV......No way! It's tight, quiet and fun to drive!
Sleep is in my near future. The last day of school was exhausting! My 7 year old is at her back yard camp out with the Brownies. I have to pick her up by 9 a.m. so I best hit the sack.
Night all!
Leslie
Zoom-Zoom!
I kind of exclude adjustment problem becasue most likely I would notice overheating problem especially on a trip where we were driving 24 hrs non-stop making about 1700 miles.
MG
Don't spend a lot of time looking for the mags that talked about the temp sensor issue...I thought it was maybe recently that you'd read something but since it's not, and if you're like me, it would take forever to find the mag at this late date. It's just nice to know it was in a mag at some time....I can always do more research at another time should I need to.
Sharon
Does anyone know where they install the temperature display sensor when it's done at the factory and not as an added-on accessory?
Thanks,
Sharon
I'm not sure how accurate is that 40% pad wear figure but still it's been way longer than yours...
The only thing I have found wrong on my MPV is that the plastic cover to the rear 12V plug broke off... Plus you have to careful when you plug in and not use too much force otherwise you are going to crack the plastic panel....
Tj
Not your imagination. Perhaps it's a 2003 problem? Not sure.
The reason I ask is because back in Spring of '00 we drove the MPV and the Odyssey back to back. Then MPV had a bit more engine noise (but nothing like the Ford Windstar) but very little road noise.
The Odyssey had a bit less engine noise, but much more road noise.
Of course road noise can be tires, or it could be a lack of sound deadening material.
I personally like a bit of engine noise, especially the DOHC flavor. (Certainly not the tractor like sounds that came from the Windstar.)
But everyone has different tastes.
But I'd say if you liked everything in the MPV but the road noise, see what kind of tires the van you drove had and try another van with different tires.
If you drove an ES with the 17" wheels and tires, more road "information" will be transmitted to the driver, including noise.
FWIW,
TB
My '03 MPV is awesome and to date with almost 4k on the odometer I have had no issues.
Good luck with whatever you choose.
Leslie
The Ody also has better pick up than the MPV, not to say that the MPV is a slug. I have good experiences with Honda, Nissan, and Toyota vehicles. Mazda is new to me and I'm sure I will not be disappointed. I don't think you can go wrong buying the MPV, Ody, or Sienna. It's all up to a matter of taste and how much you want to spend.
Lov our PEEVEE
Zoom Zoom!!!
Tj
So do you mean that your temp display doesn't go up and down all the time? If it's 80 degrees outside it pretty much displays 80 degrees? If you sit in a turn lane it doesn't climb 5 degrees, or if you sit in a drive-through it doesn't climb 12 degrees? I'm jealous!
I bet factory installed means "correctly" installed and we're never going to have an accurate temp display no matter where they put the sensor.
By-the-way, I never got back to you about your question about lighthouses. (I think that was you, wasn't it?)
There's a well known lighthouse on Lake Superior called Split Rock Lighthouse and it's absolutely gorgeous. It's north of Duluth....
And about your cover for that rear power plug breaking, I believe I read something not too long ago from someone else who had the same problem and he was wondering if there's spare parts for that or something. I guess we'll have to pay more attention to that area when we're using our "trunk" so we don't join the two of you in your club of broken covers! Thanks for the warning!
Sharon
Maybe what I'll do is go to a different dealer and try a different mpv and point it out to him.
I'm afraid that 2004 Quest will be too expensive for me once I'm done with it (sky view roof and DVD player), the Gold Sienna I want won't ever be in stock.... and I certainly won't be able to "strike a deal" with the scarcity. Do I take a chance on the American cars, the T&C, Windstar and get a rebate, that is the question. Hmmmm
Split Rock lighthouse, I got to check that out if we get up there. The weather here in Wisconsin is nice. Everyone is complaining about the heat 85. Gezz, I am cold.
Noise: My MPV is one of the quitest cars I have driven. I noticed that the car is very well insulated. I believe that the insulation is part of the 4 seasons package... The AC easly holds a comfortable temp in the hot 110 desert...
Lov our PEEVEE so much that I am thinking about a Mazda pickup... But, only if I can get the same engine.. Wow, I was thrilled to discover that the engine has a timing chain... No more changing that #@$&% plastic timing belt... I bet the dealer shops are crying about that...
Tj
There is some confusion in my mind about the 2.3L, because I knew it was a decades old Ford I4 either related to the Pinto I4 or a copy of Fords 3.3L I6 with a couple of cylinders chopped off.
And now, it is possible the 2.3L could be the same engine Mazda developed and is used in the Mazda 6, as well as in select Ford Focus cars sold in special emissions states such as CA, NY and MA (again, IIRC)
But I'm pretty sure you won't find a 3L Duratec under the hood of a Mazda pickup truck.
TB
I'm a nut about road noise myself. As a matter of fact, I drove my sister crazy over the weekend. She has just purchased a '98 Suburban XLT (very nice) but it has the customery rattles and squeaks. I kept asking her what each noise was. I realize that squeaks and rattles aren't really "road" noise but it's noise when driving.
As far as the tires go, I have had no noise. My MPV is very quiet. When I run the air, like on the highway, it's very, very quiet. One of the quietest vehicles I have ever owned.
Some of my previous posts have all of the information about the deal we got on our MPV. It's loaded and we paid just over $22k out the door. It has the moon roof and towing package and GFX package, traction control etc. etc. It runs flawlessly and I have had it to the dealership for it's 1500k oil change and a detailing. That's it no warranty issues at all. First time ever that I've purchased a car and didn't wind up at the dealership with issues.
Just my 2 cents.
Good Luck!
Leslie
P.S. I love my MPV!
Zoom-Zoom!
I'm not going to ask about the temp sensor for a change!
The following has happened a few times in the past week and I'm wondering if anyone can clue me in as to what's going on.
I'll park in our garage, turn the MPV off, and sometimes immediately and sometimes after a minute or so, I'll hear my MPV hissing at me. It seems to be coming from the front area, underneath.
It reminds me of the sizzling sound you'd get if you were to take a hot frying pan and then add drops of water to it.
Our previous van never had these noises and so I guess I'm saying I don't understand why the MPV does.
Any idea what's going on and what I should or shouldn't do about it?
Thanks!
Sharon